The **Star Trek** franchise is set to celebrate its **60th anniversary** with a compelling lineup of new projects and events, announced on the occasion of its **59th anniversary** during **Star Trek Day**. Paramount Pictures revealed that the festivities will embrace the theme “Space for Everybody,” inviting fans to join in a year-long celebration that reflects a future of hope, exploration, and boldness.
Begun by the vision of **Gene Roddenberry**, the franchise first aired in **1966** with the original television series. It has since evolved into a multi-billion dollar cultural phenomenon, captivating audiences globally. Fans, affectionately known as **Trekkies**, have enjoyed a rich array of movies, spin-off series, and video games that expand upon the adventures of the starship **USS Enterprise** and its crew, who are famously urged to “Boldly go where no man has gone before,” as delivered by **William Shatner**, the iconic Captain **James T. Kirk**.
Upcoming Celebrations and New Series
The festivities will commence on **January 1, 2024**, with a float in the **Rose Parade** in California. This float will embody the values of hope, inclusivity, exploration, and unity. Paramount also announced that it will showcase the upcoming series **Star Trek: Starfleet Academy**, slated for release in early **2026** on **Paramount+**. This new series will focus on young cadets balancing their duties as future Starfleet officers with personal challenges, friendships, and rivalries. A first look at the series, featuring actors **Holly Hunter** and **Paul Giamatti**, was unveiled during a Comic-Con event in July.
In addition to this, the franchise will introduce **Star Trek: Scouts**, a new animated series targeting preschool audiences. Created by **Nickelodeon Digital Studio** in collaboration with **CBS Studio**, this show follows three eight-year-old friends as they train to become future Starfleet Explorers. The first two episodes of this 20-episode series were released on **September 4, 2023**, with additional episodes set to roll out throughout the upcoming year.
Furthermore, a new scripted podcast titled **Star Trek: Khan** premiered its first episode on the same day. This podcast will explore the backstory of **Khan**, the infamous villain first introduced in a **1967** episode and later featured as the nemesis of the Enterprise crew in the **1982** film **Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan**. New episodes will be released weekly, providing fans with an in-depth look at this iconic character’s evolution.
As the franchise prepares for this momentous anniversary, it continues to resonate with its audience, celebrating themes that have made **Star Trek** a beloved part of popular culture for six decades.
